Engineering Student Attitudes to Digital Reading Teaching Technology in the post-coronavirus era

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate engineering student attitudes to using a digital reader device for reading digital texts in a post-coronavirus academic teaching environment. The results of this study could help to inform pedagogies for online teaching and student transitions into university technology-enabled educational innovation for engineering. Design/methodology/approach: An online survey was distributed to engineering student participants and a student focus group was conducted. The survey contained 14 student experience questions related to the use of the digital reader; most questions were quantitative in nature. The focus group concentrated on 4 areas: the new contexts, pandemic and post-pandemic; the digital reader; digital reading behaviours; and, the impact on current and future student learning. Findings: Student digital reading of engineering academic texts cannot be separated from distinct research investigation processes, such as finding information and writing. Engineering students rarely just read. They read, write, and find information in interconnected academic processes of inquiry. Research limitations/implications: This study was limited to engineering students using the Kindle digital reading device and specific engineering academic texts. Practical implications: The study makes recommendation to inform the development of digital reading in online teaching environments and student transitions to higher education. Originality/value: The study builds on existing research with students describing interconnected digital reading, writing, and finding activities in post-pandemic contexts.